Obituary of Margarete "Rita" Ehlert

Margarete (“Rita”) Ehlert, age 92, died on March 29, 2019, in the Palliative Care/Hospice Unit at Morristown Medical Center.

Born in Kiev on February 8, 1927, Margarete lived in Russia and Germany before coming to the United States after World War II. When Margarete arrived in New York City, immigration officials told her that she was going to be sent to Montana to work on a potato farm, to which she firmly replied that she was a city girl and would be staying in the city, and so she did! Margarete was fluent in four languages, and she was quickly hired at the Gulden’s Mustard factory in lower Manhattan for her German language skills. Later, Margarete became a bookkeeper and worked in that capacity at a travel agency in New York City and an accounting firm in Middlesex County, NJ, until October 2018, when (at nearly 92 years of age) her doctor advised her that she needed to stop driving. During her years at the travel agency, Margarete travelled to Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Russia; especially memorable were her several trips home to Russia.

Margarete was an avid reader and lover of crossword puzzles, the television shows “Dancing With the Stars” and “Survivor,” classical music, and art. She loved her books and the characters in them so much that she would squeal with delight whenever she received a new book as a gift. In recent years, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and the Lord John series brought her many hours of pleasure.

Margarete was preceded in death by her parents, Wilhelmina and Adolf; her four sisters, Alya, Ada, Tamara, and Irene; and her husband and son, both Konstantin. She is survived by her granddaughter, Lindsay, and daughter-in-law, Janet, as well as several nieces and nephews. Margarete will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of Margarete’s life will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2019 from 12 pm to 1 pm at Dangler Funeral Home, 600 Speedwell Avenue, Morris Plains.

Donations can be made in Margarete’s name to the Palliative Care/Hospice Unit at Morristown Medical Center through the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, 475 South Street, Morristown, NJ, 07960, or online at www.f4mmc.org.